JERUSALEM, March 20, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities on Friday morning banned Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
It said that hundreds of Muslim worshippers prayed by roadsides in the vicinity of the mosque compound, which has been closed by Israeli occupation authorities for 21 consecutive days since the start of the US and Israeli war on Iran.
Worshippers performed the Eid prayers at the nearest points to the mosque compound, particularly at Bab al-Amud (Damascus Gate) and Bab al-Sahira (Herod’s Gate), despite occupation restrictions.
The occupation forces unleashed barrages of teargas and concussion bombs at worshippers to prevent them from approaching the mosque compound, and detained a worshipper from Salahuddin Street in the city.
The Jerusalem Governorate slammed the ongoing closure of the mosque compound, recognized as the third-holiest site in Islam, as a dangerous, unprecedented escalation and a blatant violation of the freedom of worship, affirming that the Israeli measures are intended to impose a new reality and isolate the mosque from its Palestinian surroundings.
K.F.
